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Free Patterns: Christmas Table Runner and Christmas Tree Skirt

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 Christmas Table Runner Pattern

Free Christmas Table Runner Pattern
Christmas Table Runner Pattern

Today I’m sharing a tutorial for this Christmas Table Runner and Tabletop Christmas Tree Skirt. Do you have a cute little table top Christmas tree? Why not make a quick and easy tree skirt for it? Plus you will have enough fabric left in your honey bun to make this cute table runner to match!

 

  • 1 Figgy Pudding Honey Bun
  • 1 Figgy Pudding Turnover or Charm Pack
  • 1 Moda White Jelly Roll
  • 2 yds white fabric for backing
  • 1/4″ yd. or 1 fat quarter,  blue fabric for binding on tree skirt
  • Embroidery floss
  • Buttons
  • Heat n Bond Lite
  • Ribbon
  • Batting (I used quilters dream cotton)

 

Very IMPORTANT! Before you begin to sew, if you want to make both the runner and the tree skirt make sure that you pick out all of your fabrics first! Otherwise you might run out of a color that you want.

To begin, you need 11 honey bun strips. You need to set them up in a color pattern that starts in the center and mirrors out to the edges.  You want to match rows 1 & 11, 2 & 10, 3 & 9, 4 & 8, 5 & 7 and row 6 will be your center row.

You need them to match because your are going to cut them into triangles, and flip the template after each cut. (if you are confused now, don’t worry just keep reading it will make sense with the photos).

Sew all rows together with 1/4″ seam. Press all seams to one side.

You need to make a template. To do this you need 1, 12×12 piece of scrapbook paper. Cut it to 9×12, find the center of the 9″ side, measure from the center down to the opposidte corners, cut. Repeat for other side.  For photo instructions to make the triangle click here (NOTE: your triangle will be 9×12, NOT  6×9 like in the photos)

After you have made your template, lay it out on your sewn rows of fabric. Using your ruler & rotary tool, cut out the triangle, making sure that it is all the way over to the edge, you will need every centimeter of fabric, so double check it.

Cut off selvage edges.

 

You will get a piece that looks like this.

Next, flip the template 180 degrees.  Line up the edge of the template with the cut edge of the fabric strip. Cut out your next piece.
Flip template again and repeat, until you get 9 triangles… (note your last triangle you may be a little short, don’t worry still cut it, that will be the edge piece of your tree skirt).

Arrange your cut pieces into a circle, alternating patterns. (you will have 2 next to each other that are the same pattern, use this as the “seam” or opening of your tree skirt).

Sew pieces together with 1/4″ seam. Leave one seam open, this will be the openeing of your tree skirt.
Cut out center of the skirt, leaving 1″ of the red strip still showing. (if your tabletop tree has a wider trunk, cut a larger hole).

If you wish to hand embroider a phrase on your tree skirt do it now.  Print off your words, (the font I used is called Noodle). Then using a light box and a water soluble pen, trace the letters onto the tree skirt.
Hand embroider, using a simple backstitch.

 

When finished with the embroidery, layer with batting and backing and quilt as desired. I just did a stitch in the ditch.

 

Cut 6 pieces of ribbon about 10″ long.  Pin to opening of tree skirt. Sew in place before you bind it.

Sew on binding, making sure not to catch ribbon in binding.

Now onto the table runner. This runner is LONG. It is 14″x 105″. I wanted a long runner to fit my big table. If you want it shorter just elimante some of the blocks.

To begin:

From your honeybun, collect 5 strips each of 4 different color ways. I used the blues, greens, reds & browns.

Arrange how you like,  and sew togther with 1/4″ seam.  Press seam to one side.

 

Cut strip into 3,  14″ pieces, cutting off selvage edges.
Repeat with the other 3 colors.

 

You will have 3 blocks each of 4 different colors (for a total of 12 blocks).

 

Sew 2 white jelly roll strips togteher. Cut into 14″ pieces (same as you did for the honeybun pieces, remember jelly roll strips are wider, 2 1/2″ wide).

Repeat this 4 times so that you have a total of 10 white blocks each 2 strips tall x 14″ wide.

 

Cut 2 14″ pieces from 1 jelly roll strip.

 

Note: I quilt on an embroidery machine so I  don’t have much control over where the stitches go, if you are free motion quilting this, BEFORE you sew your blocks together, skip to the applique steps.  It will be easier to applique the white blocks before they are sewn with the colored blocks. I think it would look nice to do echo quilting around the shapes on the white blocks.

 

Sew blocks together.  This is the color arrangement that I used, but you can change yours to your taste (it would also look nice going dark-light)

 

Row 1:   1 single- 14″ white jelly roll strip

Row 2:   Brown, honey bun block

Row 3:   White, jelly roll block

Row 4:   Red, honey bun block

Row 5:  White, jelly roll block

Row 6:   Green, honey bun block

Row 7:   White, jelly roll block

Row 8:   Blue, honey bun block

Row 9:   White

Row 10: Red

Row 11: White

Row 12: Green

Row 13: White

Row 14: Blue

Row 15: White

Row 16: Red

Row 17: White

Row 18: Green

Row 19: White

Row 20: Blue

Row 21: White

Row 22: Brown

Row 23: 1 – 14″ Jelly roll strip.

You will have 1 brown block left over, you can use it if you need to make your runner longer.

 

 

 

 

Layer runner with batting and backing and quilt as desired, I quilted mine with a interlocking circle pattern.

Next applique…

To cut the words out you can use the computer font method here.

Or, if you have an electronic cutting machine (like a cricut),  you can use this method. You can also buy a chipboard alphabet at a scrapbook store that you like and trace those letters.

 

Cut the words out with your machine 3 3/4″ tall. (you will need the words, cheer, merry, bright, joy, jingle), then flip the page over so the letters are backwards.  Trace onto a piece of Heat n Bond light.

Roughly cut the letters out, and adhere (with your iron) to the back of your turnover pieces. (you could also use a charm pack, I just had a turnover on hand).

 

Cut out, and iron onto your runner.

 

This is how I laid out the applique on my runner: The color in parentheses is the color I cut the applique out of the turnover pieces. (the applique is only on the white blocks)

Order of the white blocks: (refer to photos above).

1:  trees (green)

2: “merry” (red)

3:  ornaments (blue)

4: “bright” (blue)

5:  peppermints (red/white)

6: “cheer” (blue)

7:  holly leaves (green)

8: “joy” (red)

9:   trees (green)

10: “jingle” (brown)

 

For the applique shapes, I used various clipart, for the holly leaves I used Camille’s pattern that she posted on moda bake shop last month. The peppermint swirls are also from that pattern, reduced 50%.

 

Iron the appliques onto the runner. Stitch around each with a straight stitch. I just used raw edge applique with a straight stitch. I am okay if it frays (I actually prefer that look for this project).

 

 

Bind using leftover honey bun strips. (you will need 5 strips)

 

Sew buttons for the holly berries.

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Comments

  1. AHHHHH! These are absolutely adorable. I did not need any more crafting projects, but these are going on the list. Great job!

    Reply

  14. this is an awesome project that i want to try. since i want to try the table runner i was wondering where you bought the honey bun roll, white jelly roll, embroidery floss, and heat n bond lite? also, is there any special equipment you need? i have a sewing machine but thats it. thanks so much!

    Reply

  18. That is the cutest ever. Nice work. I think I’ll try it but not use an embroidery machine. I’m hunting for nice applique letters right now. This is sweet!!

    Reply

  20. Wow! Speechless (not that I expected anything less…)! You are truly an artist.

    I love each piece. The table runner is beautiful. All the words and holly, oh my goodness. I can’t believe you just came up with it. I can’t even imagine trying to sew it.

    I am SO impressed.

    And the tree skirt is darling. I love anything that has a ‘tiny’ version. So darling.

    Makes me want to get out my Christmas stuff right now. And that’s saying a lot since it’s been so warm here! Hard to believe it’s almost Thanksgiving.

    Thanks for your comment on my blog. So, I looked up Kindle on amazon.com and watched thier 6 min. infomercial. Very cool. I didn’t think I would like it since I hate reading things on the computer, but it’s very easy to use and would be handy to take on trips because you can take all your books with you and get more downloads if you need. Thanks for the info.

    Wishing I had a trip to the ‘Ville planned so I could see you and Traci. Might have to get thinking of a reason!

    I can’t believe Wicked was almost a YEAR ago!

    Reply

  22. I love this table runner! I have been looking for one to make! I probably won’t get to it this year, just cause I feel like I am running out of time, but it’s so cute! :)

    Reply

  25. I really like the tree skirt. Did I miss this, or how big does it turn out to be? I have a table top tree that fits on a 24″ square table, and this looks just perfect.

    Reply

  28. Such a great tutorial! Love the Figgy Pudding range you used. Definitely one of my favorites! Where do I find the letters for the appliqué?
    Thank you for sharing this with us and all the other loveliness!

    Reply

  29. Your Thanksgiving calendar is wonderful too!!! I think I will make it for my daughter when we go to the States and she has to stay home. Then she can open up a little present for all the days we are gone. Wonderful tutorial and idea (^.^)

    Reply

  30. Hi! Just saw this over at the Moda bakeshop and wanted to come tell you how much I love it! Very beautiful! Like your blog too. So many pretty things! (I was kind of excited to see that you are LDS cause I am a member of the church from Australia.) Hope your week is great!

    Reply

  31. Could you please share the name of the font you used in the table runner project? I’m planning on making placemats based on your runner, and I LOVE the font you used! :o)

    Reply

  33. Great projects! Love them both and I need a good small tree skirt idea for an immediate need. THanks so much! Wondering what the finished size is on this tree skirt. THAnks

    Reply

  36. Melissa,
    I loved the tutorial on the Figgy Pudding Honey Bun Stripey Tiny Tree Skirt. I’d love to make one to fit a large tree. Can you help with the dimensions. I know it needs to have more stripes but I’m unsure whether to keep the triangles still at 9″ x 12″ and how many to cut. Hope you can help me. Thank you so much.

    Reply

  37. Oh my gosh I just found your Blog!! How adorable is that table runner!!! I just love it, Love your Blog, Great Work! Hugs, Mary

    Reply

  42. I know this is from forever ago, but i had to tell you, i made this 3x larger (72″ diameter) and it was so beautiful! Thank you for the tutorial! I also made the table runner! I just loved it! Thank you!

    Reply

  43. I’m attempting the tree skirt. So Cute. But I’ve run into a problem, I’m not a quilter, with my 11strips sewn together it is only 11″ not 12″. I did the 1/4″seam. What is wrong? If you can help me I’d appreciate it.

    Reply

  44. I love that the colors coordinate so well with the tree skirt! Would it be possible to make this larger? Full size about 60″…. I’m thinking 2 jelly rolls plus the extra coordinating white! Any thoughts on this would be appreciated! I bet there will be alot of waste fabric. :-(

    Reply

  45. I LOVE this tree skirt! (and table runner, too). Is there a print friendly spot that I’m missing? Would love to print this off .. probably for next year. Also, I would love to make this for my large tree skirt but am I good at figuring out how to make it larger. Would appreciate a little help with this. Thanks!

    Reply

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